Validation

Nothing makes me happier than external validation...More proof that our crazed ideas about "un-processed" eating and home gardening are on par with the great minds of the food and health industries??? The cover of Diabetes Forecast magazine (published by the American Diabetes Association)features the following headlines: "Homemade! Food tastes best when you do it yourself!" and "Grow it. Got Sunlight? Get Gardening!" Good food, good health; you're in control!

(Yes, I do see the irony in posting a whopping slice of strawberry pie alongside an article giving a nod to DIABETES Forecast magazine, but, heck. I made it myself!)

Canned goods

We all know they're convenient, but studies continue to show that canned food is just not good for long term health. The first article you might want to read discusses the need for FDA regulation on sodium levels in processed foods - known to heighten heart health concerns related to high blood pressure. (Thank you, Mike, for sharing this link with me.)

The second is a call to ban the use of hazardous BPAs, found in the lining of metal cans. (Thank you, Shaun, for bringing this one to my attention.) Better off just stopping by the produce market on the way home from work...

Another Step in the Process

In Chicago, we lived in an itsy-bitsy studio. It was the bargain of the year at only $585 per month; divide that by two, and you've got the deal of the decade! (In case you were wondering, I also walked uphill both ways in the snow to get to work.) Boston gave us a garden apartment - which is just the fancy real estate term for the cramped space next to the boiler, laundry facilities, and trash. They throw in a bunch of steaming, clanging pipes and very little sunlight for no additional charge. But, now, we live in sunny CA, and for the first time in our married lives, we have an outdoor space! Hooray! We've taken total advantage of the situation and covered every square inch with potted plants. The babies (no, we don't have pets, and we don't have human offspring) are leafy greans including mesclun, watercress, thyme, oregano, basil, lavender, rosemary, sage, mint, cilantro, parsley, hot peppers, tomatoes, marigolds, and nasturtiums. Our green thumbs are not yet tried and true, but we're jumping in with both feet! The cool San Francisco seabreeze might provide obstacles to a bumper tomato crop, but we're hoping that the Mission sunshine will move things along in the right direction. It's difficult to remember not to water desert natives like sage and the succulents while the poor, dehydrated mint wilts in the other corner. Chives sprouted from seeds, but Golden Gate Gardening informed us that it could take up to two years for a substantial crop. No worries, though, we already have one embryonic tomato! I'm looking forward to regular herb harvesting and the day to come when I can slice into a homegrown tomato. Even if nothing else comes of it, the daily nurturing is soothing; peeking through the window at our crops puts a smile on my face every time.

Food Rules

Food rule number 39 in Michael Pollan's new manual for the eater summarizes a great deal of what we are trying to accomplish with this blog. He writes, "Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself." The idea behind this is that if you are forced to make the cookie from scratch, get out the deep fryer, locate the long forgotten ice cream maker you received as a wedding gift, and then clean up the mess following the whole project, you will embark on the endeavors less often. Putting in the time and effort to make treats for yourself means that you will only indulge occasionally - a perfectly healthy way to live. When you don't feel like cranking out a layer cake, snack on an apple, dried fruits, nuts, or dark chocolate. It's not quite the same, but your body becomes accustomed to the more subtle sweetness found in nature. After a while, you really do want only a mouth full.

Don't Let Lunch Flunk

An unveiling of one of the many reasons that the blog has been a little neglected in recent weeks... The Boston Globe put together an article which continues to shed light on the disastrous state of our national diet and school lunch programs. The basis of the article is chef Jamie Oliver's notion that every person in the country should have a set of 10 (or so) recipes that they know how to cook. If this were the case, we, as a nation, would be far less dependent on fast-food, processed foods, and non-nutritious food-like substances.


With this idea in mind, The Boston Globe sought out 10 basic recipes from Boston area chefs. Some are vegetarian, some meat, some shellfish, others fish. These are straight-forward recipes, which run the full gamut of ingredients, and on the whole are fairly healthy. Besides supporting this idea wholeheartedly, I have a special vested interest in this group of recipes: I tested them all! Might I say that many are quite delicious. If you are thinking about eating out tonight or ordering a pizza, maybe you should reconsider. Choose a recipe - most won't take you longer than 30 minutes to prepare -- and then pat yourself on the back for a job well done while you savor the fruits of your labor.

Food For Thought...or Health

Check out this quick slideshow from Glamour...a great list of foods you should try and eat more of!

Down With Sugar

I love sweet stuff, and you probably do, too. But, the fact of the matter is that as Americans, we consume way too much sugar. Recently, high fructose corn syrup (the sweetener found in sodas, cookies, candies, and savory items that you wouldn't expect) has become the scapegoat for nutritionists, food writers, and bloggers - myself included. A study done on rats "proves" that long term abuse of HFCS is bad for the body, causing increased abdominal weight and more triglycerides in the blood stream. This is all probably true. However, similar effects can be said to come from long term consumption of cane sugar and other natural sweeteners. As much as we all love to rail on HFCS, the truth is we just need to eat less sugar. Period.

Good Thing I am Not a Junkie

I have bad veins - terrible, hidden, spindly little things. Unfortunately for me, I have to give blood regularly, which usually means a few hundred feeble attempts to find a vein, sticking me all the while and causing major bruising and discomfort. Blech! While the whole affair is rather miserable, it is typically quick and usually brings good results.

As I have mentioned previously, I have PCOS, a condition which renders my ticker vulnerable to attack and the rest of my poor body highly susceptible to diabetes. So, we have to keep an eye on things. This last series of tests included a check of my Hemoglobin A1C. What this number reveals is an average blood glucose level over the prior 6-8 weeks. Healthy patients should expect this number to be under 7. (Diabetics typically see a level higher than 8.) Mine was 5.4! Yay! It seems that my regular exercise and healthy diet (aided by my intake of the prescription drug Metformin) are keeping my blood sugar levels stable.

On to the fun stuff - cholesterol! Anyone over the age of 45 is probably familiar with the complicated lingo related to blood lipid levels. In my most basic layman's terms, cholesterol levels are measured 3 ways, total, LDL, and HDL. Total cholesterol is a combination of the LDL and HDL.

LDL is bad cholesterol - found in animal fats like red meat, lard, butter, egg yolks, dairy, etc. This is the "killer" cholesterol that clogs arteries and stops your heart. This number should be less than 130; mine was 88. Yay, again!

HDL is good cholesterol. How can it be good? HDLs actually help to rid your arteries of lipids (fats) and lower the LDLs. HDLs are found in vegetable fats like olive oil, avocados, and nuts -- all of which I consume at an ungodly rate. So, it is with no shock and awe that my HDL numbers are good. This result should be greater than 46. Mine was 89. Triple yay!

Total cholesterol should be between 125 and 200. Mine was 195 -- still healthy, but on the high side. What I can only deduce is that I might be going overboard on the daily avocado intake. Perhaps I will slow down, but only a little. I wouldn't want those nasty LDLs to take over the joint!

For more reading, visit the American Heart Assoc. website.

(If there are any medical professionals reading my blog, feel free to give me a head's up if my understanding of such things is at all erroneous! Much appreciated!)

Jamie Oliver - Helping Feed America

You must watch this talk given by Jamie Oliver, upon receipt of the TED award. Oliver speaks passionately about how obesity is killing America and the rest of the world. He believes - and I agree 100% - that the way to combat this epidemic is to re-teach people how to cook. Fast food, poor school lunches, and the convenience food industry are shortening our lifespan and the lifespans of future generations. But we can fight this - by merely returning to the kitchen. Please watch and take a second to really hear what he has to say...is your diet killing you and your family?

If only It Were Easy

Portion control has never been easy for me. In fact, I would venture to say that it's not easy for most people. If it were, we would all look like the French...thin and stunningly beautiful. Ok, maybe it's not that easy, but controlling portion sizes is key to maintaining a healthy weight. I can remember the first time that I became aware of the idea. I was maybe 13 years old. Obsessed with keeping my weight under control, I switched from the sinfully decadent Girl Scout Samoas to the communion wafer-like Snackwell's cookies. Pleased with my advanced knowledge of nutrition, I sat down in front of the t.v. to eat the entire box. Not so fast -- mom, always the voice of reason, called out, "Just because they're low fat doesn't mean you can eat the whole thing in one sitting." Puzzled, I stared at the nearly empty box, "Then, what on earth is the point?" I contend, today, that if I were a person of willpower -- which I am obviously not -- it would be better to eat only one Samoa...or maybe two. But like the people at Lay's potato chips promise, "You can't eat just one." That being said, I tend to avoid the whole kit n caboodle these days.

For some less anecdotal and more helpful hints, check out 10 Little Secrets of Portion Control in Cooking Light.

I Can't Wait for Shavasana

For years, friends have urged me to take up yoga, but terrible work schedules meant that I could never make it to a class. I might not always be thrilled with my current job, but there are a few perks. One of them is that I have been able to regularly attend Candlelit Yoga on Monday nights with MeiMei Fox at Aha Yoga Studio in Cow Hollow. (Thanks, P, I never would have gone without you!)

The health benefits of developing a yoga practice are extensive. In addition to the obvious muscle strength and weight loss, yoga relaxes the mind, lowers stress, lowers anxiety, and aids with depression. Many times, I leave class feeling like I am on top of the world -- a kind of self-love that I can't get anywhere else. Particularly important for those at risk of developing type 2 diabetes (or living with it), some claim that yoga increases circulation and lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels -- all while boosting your body's metabolism and immunity.

Perhaps you are intimidated by the idea. I know I was. Find a friend to go with you. Indeed the best part about yoga (and candlelit, in particular) is that nobody's looking -- honestly. The mental practice of yoga makes it so that each student is purely focused on themselves and their own experience. It amazing, really. If you still need more convincing, check out this site and this one for more reasons to start today!

Pictured above is someone who has not only been an amazing friend for the past 10 years but is also a very dedicated yogi. In this photo, she is pictured with Bikram Choudhury, a very famous yoga guru who developed his own self-titled style of yoga. Thanks, T, for the friendship and the inspiration.

The Pressure's On

In a nut shell, this blog is about being healthier. I have mentioned previously that heart health is particularly important for women (and men) with PCOS and/or diabetes. It is my hope that following the guidelines that we have implemented for 2010 will maintain or improve my heart's health (and yours, too!). In an effort to support this theory, I will periodically post results from lab work or meetings with my doctors.

Yesterday, at a routine appointment, I was told that my blood pressure was 115/65. "Perfect," she said. To put that into perspective, readings that are above 90/60 and below 120/80 are condsidered normal or healthy. So, good for me!

In the next few weeks, I am supposed to have blood work done showing lipid and cholesterol levels, thyroid hormone levels, and blood sugar. I will keep you posted.